Don't try this at home, folks, unless, of course, you use apple cider vinegar like I do!​Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known as ACV, has been used for millenia to soften and condition hair. From Egypt to the Aztecs, from Hippocrates to Pliny The Elder , ACV has made its' way up the knowledge tree, and I offer it to you today.

I first was made aware of ACV as a substitute for hair conditioner when, as a child, we ran out of said product (in the 1970's) and my mother called out to me from the bathroom to bring her the ACV out of the fridge. Of course I was curious and asked and she told me, "There's nothing better than the smell of apple in your hair. Why do you think they make the hair products smell like that?" At that time, yes indeed, most hair products DID have an apple scent!

There are many uses for ACV, both medicinal and general purposes. The best thing about ACV is that you can ingest the tiny bit you need internally, for general well being, by licking some off the side of your face as you shower. That might sound a bit 'eww' lol, but, it's tangy and tasty and well worth ingesting as a general natural health tonic. As long as you use the organic versions of the delicious apple cider vinegar, you can expect health benefits from ingesting even those small, weird, licking amounts.​The Online Archive of American Folk Medicine (archiving 50 years of university documenting, and online since 1996) has 79 listings for apple cider vinegar. I think we might be onto something here, don't you? (https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/dlib/folkmed)

I recommend you go get your bottle of ACV now, and make up a mix, for long hair, of about a quarter cup of ACV and an equal part of water. Set aside and make a bicarb paste for your shampoo, work into the hair, rinse straight out. ACV goes in next, and leave in for a few minutes to let it really do the work of softening and conditioning your hair. ​Over time you will notice that your hair becomes a few shades lighter by using ACV instead of the chemical laden cocktails that are todays' hair products. Bicarb and ACV are so gentle on your hair, that you will notice a difference even after the first wash. Enjoy!

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